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Recently found out i have a liver cyst and i’m very worried!!

Posted , 7 users are following.

sabiha88539
sabiha88539

I have recently found out that I have a liver cyst which is now 46mm. I have pain on my right side, feel very bloated and extreme fatigue with lack of sleep.  Two months ago, my scan showed that it was 36mm however in the space of two months,it has grown to 46mm. I am very scared and would like to know if anybody has experience similar if not the same problem?

1 like, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • eternaloptimist
    eternaloptimist sabiha88539

    Posted

    I thought that you  might be interested to know that I have been in a similar situation to you.  I was diagnosed with a simple giant hepatic cyst which was taking up almost all of the right lobe of my liver. It measured approx 22 centimetres in diameter (8 inches). My symptoms were excruciating back ache/pain which meant I could only walk about 100 metres and was unable to stand up for very long, extreme fatigue, sleeplessness and extreme discomfort and bloating. 

    The good news news is that on Tuesday I had surgery, called 'de-roofing' to drain the cyst. To be honest, it has been nothing short of miraculous! Having endured such discomfort for a long time (it was misdiagnosed as wear and tear on the spine) I am now virtually pain free (apart from a bit of tummy-soreness). The surgery was performed under a general anaesthetic, but took the form of a laparoscopic procedure. This entailed just three small incisions being made in my abdomen. These have already almost healed. The fluid filling the cyst was drained and a hole has been left in my liver so that the fluid can drain away into the abdominal cavity if it decides to reform. 

    The surgeon said that he drained off over 3 litres of clear fluid (which apparently looked like lager!). No wonder I was in discomfort as there was no outward sign of a swelling, so all my internal organs were squashed up. Like being 9 months pregnant, but with no bump!

    So.....if your condition is the same as mine (obviously there are different sorts of cysts and they can be in different parts of the liver -some more difficult to reach than others) then I can really say 'don't get too down about it', the solution is absolutely life changing! An added bonus is that losing all that fluid has meant that I've lost about 3 kilos (half a stone) in weight in in one fell swoop.....although it is a bit of a drastic way to go about weight reduction and I didn't need to lose weight anyway.

    Fingers crossed for you. I really hope that this information helps you.

    • Yan.k25
      Yan.k25 eternaloptimist

      Posted

      Thanks, you helped a lot.

      I thought the lower backache and fatigue I'm feeling wasn't related to the liver cysts, did you feel discomfort bending and turning sideways.

       How about the recovery time after draining those damn cysts lol, how much time did it require you to get back to normal and fatigue-free. and did the surgery scar your stomach?

      Thanks for explaining again it's helpful when i couldn't find much about cysts online.

       

    • eternaloptimist
      eternaloptimist Yan.k25

      Posted

      So sorry not to have replied earlier.. For some reason your response didn't show up on the thread.

      Well, it's now over 4 months since I had the cyst-draining surgery. I'm still well and pain free, which is wonderful. I can walk and stand without having to think about what I'm doing - something which was impossible when I had the cyst. I do have minor discomfort. I think this is due to the shrinkage of my liver as a result of having an empty cyst. However, it is nothing that causes me difficulty or concern. In all other respects I am fit and healthy. The biopsy of the cyst lining was perfectly clear with no sign of any malignancy.

      With regard to your questions: scarring is minimal, although it is possible to see that there have been incisions. I think they will fade over time. The post surgery fatigue was short-lived. I think it was caused by the anaesthetic rather than the procedure as such. It is worth asking your anaesthetist to put an anti-emetic in the anaesthetic mix as laparoscopy does cause you to feel very sick post-surgery.

      When I had the cyst it was standing up straight that really hurt. I could bend over from the waist with less pain. This was because the weight of the cyst shifted away from my spine. Bending my knees up to my chest (physio had suggested this because he thought it was degeneration of the spine) was absolute agony and made me feel sick.

      I hope that all is well and that by now you have had your surgery.

       

    • beverly07474
      beverly07474 eternaloptimist

      Posted

      I am having a liver cyst removed tomorrow by laprascopic de-roofing. My surgeon tells me it will be done as an outpatient. Just wondering if you needed a hospital stay? Thank you for any feedback you may have...:0
  • Yan.k25
    Yan.k25 sabiha88539

    Posted

    Hey guys,

    i've also found out that i have 3 liver cysts each between 6 and 7 cm just yesterday. I found them out after slight kidney pain but they turned fine, unlike my liver. Last month i was ill (pneumonia, fever, sweating while asleep, chills, shortness of breath and fatigue) and had very high elevated liver enzymes ( ALT 268 and AST 93). It's kind of funny cause you'd be surprised how athletic i am ( Lifting, basketball, yoga) maybe i stressed my body too much while i already had those cysts growing wider. So you're definitely not alone and actually, I'm not that worried even though i might need surgery. Just keep your head up and always check with your Dr. keep me posted on how you're feeling.

  • k95043
    k95043 sabiha88539

    Posted

    My experience was the same as enternaloptimist. Had a large 22cm simple helpatic cysts in the right lobe laparoscopicically removed in September (4 liters of fluid).  Right away felt great!  Easy recovery, even after a long 4 hour surgery to get at a hard to reach cyst. You will be amazed how good you feel!  My back hurt so bad ..could not even sleep.  No pain any longer!  Please just make sure you pick a fantastic surgeon...it is worth it to keep it laparoscopic.
  • karen47506
    karen47506 sabiha88539

    Posted

    Did you have your surgery yet . I have same situation. Open surgery to remove large cyst soon
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